Ireland's first Net Zero supermarket sets benchmark for sustainable retail design
Ireland’s first 100% Net Zero Energy supermarket has opened in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, marking a milestone for sustainable retail and setting a new benchmark for future development.
BDP provided sustainability consultancy services for Lidl Maynooth, leading a multidisciplinary approach that has created a genuinely zero-carbon building. The 2,200 sq m flagship store operates entirely on renewable energy generated on site and offsets its embodied carbon through clean energy recovery – meeting the purest definition of zero carbon.
The project demanded an uncompromising commitment to sustainability. Working with Lidl Ireland, BDP’s sustainability and MEP experts analysed the energy performance of existing stores to develop strategies to dramatically reduce operational demand. This approach ensured that the store’s total energy requirement could be met entirely by zero-pollution renewable sources such as solar PV.
BDP’s team also created a whole life cycle carbon model for the building, enabling the embodied carbon impact of materials to be assessed and reduced at every stage. By optimising material selection and system design, the project achieved an embodied energy content below RIBA’s 2030 target for this building type.
Lidl’s commitment to environmental excellence already exceeds legislative requirements, and this project extends that ambition by demonstrating how evidence-based design can deliver truly circular, low-impact outcomes. The result is a building that not only meets but surpasses future regulatory expectations, standing as a future-proofed model for sustainable retail in Ireland and beyond.
“This project demonstrates what genuine 100% net zero means in practice; where every unit of energy is generated renewably on site, and even the embodied carbon of construction is addressed. It’s an exciting step forward for sustainable design in Ireland and a powerful example of what can be achieved through collaboration, ambition, and evidence-based design.”
Delivered in collaboration with the Irish Green Building Council and the McCallion Group, Lidl Maynooth combines advanced energy modelling, carbon analysis and innovative material choices to create a low-impact, high-performance building designed to meet BREEAM Outstanding standards.
BDP continues to lead in sustainable design and consultancy across multiple sectors, delivering commercial projects that push the boundaries of energy efficiency, circular construction and net zero performance. From healthcare and education to retail and masterplanning, the practice applies a data-driven, interdisciplinary approach to create places that perform better for people and the planet.